10 Critical Questions: Antonio Tarver

Posted by Matt Knowles on 09.19.2008

Does the Magic Man still have a few tricks up his sleeve? Has Father Time finally caught up to the 4-time champ? We answer these questions and more!


On Saturday, October 11, IBF light heavyweight kingpin Antonio Tarver will square off with unbeaten former WBC champ Chad Dawson, in one of the best light heavyweight showdowns of this generation. It is your classic age vs. youth battle, with the winner earning the right to stake their claim as the best 175-pounder of the new millennium. The bout will be available nationwide on Showtime, and will be broadcast along with a same-day taping of the WBC heavyweight title bout between Sam Peter and Vitali Klitschko. All in all, this looks to be the best double-header in the history of Showtime Championship Boxing.

Today we'll take a closer look at the questions revolving around Tarver, the 4-time world champion at this weight class, and his chances at cementing his immortal legacy at light heavyweight.



1. Will Tarver's advanced age be a factor in the bout?

Well let's face it people…if Rocky Balboa can go the distance with this guy, he must be a complete fossil….

Seriously though, I think it's safe to say that no other fighter of this generation has aged as well as has Antonio Tarver. In his 12 year career as a pro, he has only been in a small handful of fights that would be considered "wars" (1st Jones bout, Johnson rematch possibly, and his beat-down by B-Hop). Generally speaking, a boxer's twilight is something that is generated through a slow progression of physical hiccups. To date, Tarver hasn't shown too many signs that his engine is running out of gas.



2. Being that motivation has been a factor in the past, will Tarver be physically/mentally/emotionally ready for Dawson's challenge?

Tarver is one of these cats that talks a whole lot of trash when he knows that he's got a real challenge in front of him (Case in point: lots of bad-mouthing towards Bernard Hopkins, with little-to-no insults flung at Danny Santiago a few years later). If Dawson wasn't a threat, Tarver's mouth would be closed. In case you haven't noticed, the man hasn't shut the F*** up in months, which means he is taking Chad Dawson very seriously.




3. How much will Tarver's vast experience factor into the outcome of the bout?

This is, without question, Antonio's biggest advantage coming into this bout. Going 2-1 with 1 KO in his three fights with Roy Jones is equivalent to earning a Master's degree in the sweet science. Combine this with his bouts against B-Hop, Glen Johnson x 2, Montell Griffin, Clinton Woods, and Eric Harding, and you're left with the best 175-pound resume of the modern era. This being said, every dog has his day, and Dawson will be looking to take Antonio behind the woodshed come October 11.



4. Having fought so sporadically in the past few years, how will all of the layoffs affect his timing?

With Tarver's counter-punching, backwards-sliding southpaw style, timing is a very serious concern. Sluggers don't need to fight frequently (ie Mayorga), because they are going to simply jump their opponent and swarm them with power shots. Tarver is a finesse fighter, which means that ring activity is all the more important. His sluggish performance against Bernard Hopkins was a blatant reminder of how bad Tarver can be when his punches aren't on point. Sure, he beat Clinton Woods last April, but he was an easy mark, and the success in that bout won't translate successfully in a match-up against a younger, faster opponent like Dawson. This is without question Tarver's biggest concern coming into the bout.


5. How will facing a fellow southpaw affect Tarver's game-plan?

Aside from his two bouts against Eric Harding, Tarver is not accustomed to squaring off with fellow southpaws. In the aforementioned Harding bouts, Antonio had a very difficult time finding his punching range with both the jab and the right hook. Look for Dawson to exploit this weakness by moving to his left with little resistance, while also cancelling out Tarver's wicked straight left cross.




6. Does Tarver still have the 1-punch power that we saw in the Jones rematch?

Highly unlikely. Tarver's shining moment came in that one-punch, 2nd round KO of Jones back in '04, and frankly, he's shown very little pop in his punches ever since. Dawson, for his part, isn't exactly a lights-out bomber either. Both men look to score punches in bunches in an attempt to wear down their opponent for a possible late round TKO/decision victory.


7. Does Antonio have the chin to stand tall against Dawson's power shots?

Frankly, I don't expect the punching power of either man to play a big role in this bout. If Tarver can stand tall against the power shots of Roy Jones and Glen Johnson, Chad Dawson's straight left shouldn't be a huge concern. Then again, it really depends on whether or not Father Time will finally catch up to the Magic Man.




8. Will Tarver be able to keep up with Dawson's hand and foot speed?

This is the question that has me baffled. Dawson should have a huge advantage in this department based on his youth and amazing two-fisted ability for a light heavyweight. His sizzling TKO over Epifanio Mendoza was a thing of beauty, being that Dawson showed the hand speed of a straw-weight combined with legit power for 175 pounds. At the same time, is he faster than the '03 version of Roy Jones, whom Tarver was able to stand toe-to-toe with? Tough to say.


9. With Dawson's pin-point accuracy, can Tarver effectively avoid the punches coming his way?

Although Tarver is an effective counter puncher, he has never been a difficult target to find. Hopkins, Johnson, and Jones were all able to land nearly half of their punches against Antonio, and Dawson will be searching for a 60-70% connect average in this one. In the B-Hop fight, Tarver's face was lumpy all over following the 12 round assault. I expect the same thing, win or lose, come October 11.


10. Can the Magic Man wave his wand one more time?

I'm gonna give this one a "definitely maybe" (the most in-genuine answer to any question, IMO). Every time the boxing public counts this guy out, he comes back with a dazzling performance. In this bout, however, I would have to guess that youth and energy will win-out over age and experience. Tarver, to his credit, will not go down quietly, and I expect him to be highly competitive from bell-to-bell, only to drop a close decision to the future king at 175, Bad Chad Dawson. If the Magic Man is going to win, he'll have to dig real deep into his bag of tricks and stun Dawson with something spectacular. If anyone is capable of this feat, it's Antonio Tarver, so we're definitely in store for a great championship bout on October the 11th.


SEE YA AT THE FIGHTS!!!